I had other things that I was thinking about writing about this week, but just as most of my plans for this week, workwise and at home, have gone by the wayside due to my cold, it seemed appropriate to write about something bookish that helped me get through Monday, which was spent lying in bed, staring dismally at my work emails on my ipod touch, but too ill to actually do anything about any of them. My fiance could tell that I was really ill, because I stopped being my usual demanding self, and just lay there...
I had a bad patch of insomnia last week, perhaps due to the adrenalin flying around my body in preparation for the swim, and had happened on the website www.audible.co.uk where you can download audio books. There's quite a good selection available, certainly of relaxing things, like children's books, and I downloaded The naughtiest girl in the school by Enid Blyton, and I finally got around to listening to it on Monday morning. It was an abridged version, which was good, as my attention wouldn't have coped with anything any longer, and beautifully read, I'm not sure who by, but it entertained me perfectly for an hour. I then listened to The naughtiest girl again, which was part of the same download, another hour down, and THEN having plaintatively wondered if my fiance might be able to download me something else, I discovered that I could download books via i-tunes, straight onto my ipod, and cheaper than from audible.co.uk. So, I downloaded The naughtiest girl is a monitor, and then Sleepovers by Jacqueline Wilson. I did already have a Famous Five audio book on my ipod, but frankly, the Famous Five were far too energetic for how I was feeling. Perfect - it was 7pm by the time I had finished listening to all of that, time to get up and sit on the sofa and watch a video, and nearly time to go back to bed again. I have Over the gate by Miss Read also downloaded, and as my body seems a bit screwed up by the day in bed and lack of exercise when I had been exercising so much recently, I could well be listening to that tonight.
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Whilst you're on I-Tunes you could also download the latest Corduroy Mansions serial by Alexander McCall Smith. It's free! Chapter 14 was added today; 1 to 13 are still available too. Though it's £7.95 for each of the first two books in the series in unabridged form, should you wish to start at the very beginning.
ReplyDeleteEnid Blyton sound just the right thing for a cold! I hope you feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteMy daughters read and re-read Sleepovers many times when they were about 12. I think it's pretty good too, and I'm 46! Jacqueline Wilson's best book imo.
ReplyDeleteLove Miss Read...she's one of my "comfort" go-to's. Hope you are feeling better soon.
ReplyDeleteI have the paper version of Over the Gate on my tbr pile. Picked it up a couple of months ago in a market in Wales. It looks charming.
ReplyDeleteThe Naughtiest Girl is great - and one of the few Enid Blytons with a decent bit of characterisation, and with boys and girls largely treated equally. Lovely books which we really enjoyed reading to our 6 yo over the summer.
ReplyDeleteDavid - I looked for it but could only fond the paid for version - what is the title?
ReplyDeleteCath - it's one of the few I don't own in paper, hence downloddong it - still have to listen to it!
Vintage - I wad surprised by how gripped I was by Sleepovers, I've read a number of JW but not that one. Now listening to the dare game but it's read by Sandi Toksvig and I'm not liking the style
Susan - yes I often go to her for comfort so good to have an audio version too
Juxtabook - think I was 6 when I first read them, they are quite progressive for blyton. Have you come across the Anne digby sequels?